Multi-Stakeholder Decision Making for Complex Problems

A Systems Thinking Approach with Cases

In the complex world of today, important policy and business decisions are still made with a 17th Century reductionist mindset and approach. Yet, complex challenges such as climate change, poverty, public health, security, energy futures, and sustainability transcend any single science, discipline or agency. Rather, they require integration of social, economic, cultural, political, and environmental concerns to achieve acceptable and sustainable outcomes. This entails synthesis of diverse knowledge and perspectives in a transparent and unifying decision-making process, engaging stakeholders with competing interests, perspectives, and agendas under uncertain and often adversarial conditions.

Multi-Stakeholder Decision Making for Complex Problems — A Systems Thinking Approach with Cases brings together a unique self-contained volume to address this challenge. The book introduces the systems approach in non-technical language for multi-issue, multi-stakeholder decision making supplemented by numerous case studies including business, economics, healthcare, agriculture, energy, sustainability, policy, and planning. The book provides a fresh and timely approach with practical tools for dealing with complex challenges facing evolving global business and society today.

Contents:

• Concepts and Methods:

  • An Introduction to Multi-Stakeholder Decision Making
  • Systems Thinking
  • The Language of Systems Thinking
  • Multi-Stakeholder Decision Making

• Cases:

  • Resolving Conflict in a Supply Chain
  • The Dark Side of Product Variety
  • The Pitfalls of Rapid Growth
  • Turning Conflict into Consensus
  • Causes of Oversupply of Commercial Property — the Case of Singapore
  • The Blind Spots of Increased Factory Capacity
  • Dynamics of Worldwide Fisheries Decline
  • Sustainable Tourism and Poverty Alleviation — the Siem Reap Project

Readership: Graduate students and researchers specializing in decision sciences; managers and decision makers in organizations.
Key Features:

• Written in a self-study and team learning style and contains substantive international case studies
• Brings together a unique blend of methods and cases refined over 20 years of research and working with and training 1000s of senior managers and professionals by its internationally acknowledged author of two successful books in the field
• Fills an important gap in decision making, leadership and management literature. The skills taught in the book help build group and organizational learning and consensus — skills vitally lacking from the current organizational and policy discourse and practice